Clementine Cafe is a well-known hotspot for seeing live music in downtown Harrisonburg, but this past Thursday, there was a different atmosphere at the venue.
Psychology Service Organization (PSO), a JMU club for psychology majors, held a benefit concert to raise awareness about hunger issues right here in the Harrisonburg area. The group, which was established two years ago, has become fully dedicated to this cause.
“We just want to help the community in any way, small or large scale, because we feel fortunate enough to do so,” Lexie Hubbard, a senior psychology major and two-year member of PSO explained of the group’s initiative.
Canned goods were the only admission charge and all collected food was donated to the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank. Any money raised went to Our Community Place.
Blue Ridge Area Food Bank works with multiple pantries and organizations in Verona, Charlottesville and Lynchburg to help combat the 1-in-10 ratio of people in the Blue Ridge area who do not know where their next meal will come from.
In 2010, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and Feeding America did a study that showed 74 percent of household incomes in the Blue Ridge area are below the poverty line. The bank serves over 120,000 people a month, according to their website, with all support coming from either monetary or food donations from local and national sources. They work with about 234 different organizations to distribute their goods.
Our Community Place is a community center that hosts meals four times a week. The monetary donations received at the event will go to good use at OCP. According to affiliate Philip Fisher Rhodes, $100 can feed 40-60 people in one sitting.
PSO also enlisted the help of some popular groups around campus to help get the word out and provide stellar entertainment for the night. With a line up consisting of JMU a cappella acts such as BluesTones, Into Hymn and Low Key, as well as local artists Brian Caperton, Gabe Steelman and Don Townsend, the event was easily a success.
“Supporting this event allows us to address issues in the area even if we are not actually from here,” Darcy West, a senior psychology major and member of BluesTones and PSO, said. “We should always strive to leave this place better than we found it.”
William Evans, a psychology professor at JMU and faculty advisor for PSO, stood behind his students’ efforts all the way. The event, which is in its 10th year, was picked up by PSO after Psi Chi decidedly dropped it and Evans encouraged them to pick up and continue it.
“It was such a great event that I didn’t want it to end,” Evans said. “A major benefit of supporting local areas is that there is a hands-on nature about it. We actually get to ‘meet’ the needs.”
However, those that will receive these donations are not the only ones who are positively affected.
“Specifically on the college campus, PSO has helped open my eyes beyond the JMU bubble,” Rebecca Seman, a senior psychology major and a member of PSO, said.
There was also a heavy attendance from students and friends not involved with PSO.
“I’m in a service and leadership class where we’ve been talking about injustices in the world,” Alton Wampler, a senior double psychology and Spanish major at JMU, said. “I just felt a pull on my heart to support it and the good that it is doing in the valley.”
You may have missed the event, but PSO is always accepting donations from those wanting to give. To do so, email pso.jmu@gmail.com. Blue Ridge Area Food Bank can be reached at 540-248-3663, and for more information on Our Community Place, contact Philip Fisher Rhodes at philip@ourcommunityplace.org.
Contact Mollie Jones at jones2mj@dukes.jmu.edu.